Side Orders • January 11, 2018

Carla Tracy

Dining Editor

carlatracy@mauinews.com

Wailuku Sushi Chef Jayse Sato will present a grand reopening of Umi, his newly revamped eatery, on Friday at his Vineyard Street location. It will be a sushi bar from Wednesdays to Saturdays; and then morph into a ramen shop Sundays through Tuesdays. CARLA TRACY photo

‘NEW’ IN WAILUKU. . . Sushi lovers will want to check out the contemporary and sleek new look of the remodeled Umi on Vineyard Street.

The owner started sub-leasing a space at Soup to Nuts Catering some time ago and then took over as of Jan. 1.

“I did a renovation, pretty much from the ground up,” says Umi owner-chef Jayse Sato. “I added flooring, painted, built a new sushi bar and redid the bathroom. I went with a clean and modern dark look so the white tables (128 seats) and white dishes can pop out more.”

The regrand opening is Friday. Hours will be 5 to 9 p.m. Sushi and hot foods will be served Wednesday through Saturday, first come, first served. Enjoy hamachi carpaccio with ginger-scallion oil and micro cilantro; lechon roll with pork belly; and hot soft-shell crab bao buns with unagi sauce and spicy mayo.

Westin Nanea Ocean Villas has launched a weekly interactive culinary demo called Fire Up the Fun taught by the culinary team under the direction of Executive Chef Ikaika Manaku at Mauka Makai.

The Westin KOR’s signature restaurant Mauka Makai is offering this new demo on Thursdays.

Participants get to sample favorite island dishes while learning how to cook them at 4:30 p.m. each week. The cost is $25 per person. Call 662-6400.

Sister property, Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas, has been doing this demo at Pulehu, An Italian Grille on Fridays with Chef de Cuisine Jesse Pita. Westin KOR will also host a Super Bowl viewing party at Pailolo Bar & Grill with a 13-by-8-foot LED wall with specials such as the Super Poke Bowl, chili rice bowl and other grid-iron fare. Beer will flow, of course, along with other thirst quenching drink specials.

I first heard about rainbow trout being sustainably raised on Maui by Executive Chef Perry Bateman when savoring a fish feast at Mama’s Fish House. Bateman was the first to board the Maui rainbow trout train when he could get it.

Now owner John Dobovan of Kulahaven Farms will speak about his rainbow trout and watercress aquaponic operations at the Hawaii Farmers Union Potluck to be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. today at Maui Tropical Plantation in Waikapu.

Ryan Burden of Coconut Information will also share knowledge about this canoe plant and its benefits. Guest chef Abbey Ferrer of Star Noodle in Lahaina will create a dazzling dish, but attendees are asked to bring something, too. For more details about entry cost, call 244-7643.

And wine lovers, don’t forget that the Uncorked and Unplugged event will be held at the Maui Tropical Plantation Friday with winemaker Fred Scherrer and master sommelier Michael Jordan. For tickets, call 270-0333.

Last but not least, chef-restaurateur Mark Ellman has always been a generous man, one who “practices aloha.”

On Friday, he’ll throw a fundraiser for na keiki of Na Kula Kaiapuni O Lahaina at his Frida’s Mexican Beach House oceanfront in Lahaina.

“The fundraiser is from 4:30 to 9 p.m.,” he says. “We are giving 50 percent of the food sales when folks mention that they are dining for the fundraiser. Order anything from the whole menu. Proceeds will help the keiki get to the Makahiki competition on Molokai.”